Monday, October 17, 2005

Oh Hollywood, redux

Dearest Hollywood and affiliated filmmaking capitals:
I realize that in our last communique I was less than kind in my assessment of your casting choices. But, you know, as a lady of color, I'm bitter like that.
But you know how you can make me a wee bit less pissed-the-fuck-off with you?
Cast this guy opposite a woman of color. Please.
In his last, um, well, all the movies I've seen him in, he has starred with this lady, and this lady, and this lady, and--are you following? Spotting the trend?
yes, we all know he is the sexy, the sexy enough to make all kinds of ladies swoon. But, you know, just once? Hows about we get a lady of color swooning?
No, scratch that, I think I need to be more specific. Can we please have a black woman as his ladybird? Because if I'm not specific, god knows you bitches will cast her or her or someone else equally un-negro. Bitches. (Hollywood et al., not the actresses in question, of course).
Get on it.
Or will I have to write and produce that script my goddamn self?
(And no, this does not count. Playing a black lady is not the same as playing alongside one. Though I cannot wait to see it.)

4 Comments:

Thank you. Thank you. And I'm not sure if you heard me, but thank you. Maybe it's just me, but I'm beyond a little tired of the devaluation of black women, period. I hate going to movies because every time a black woman is in it, she's either cleaning someone's (white) house, taking care of someone's (white) children, whoring out on the corner, or crying over their crack-addicted, gang-member son. The very idea of black women not being any of these stereotypes is like saying God is a woman. And it seems like even if someone black writes the script, its like black women are protrayed even worse (spike lee). And when we DO get a black woman to write a script for and about us, the hollywood machine turns it around to twist us into a coon-like cartoon (BAPS). Sign me up for the Bitter Black Women Because Hollywood Generally Sucks League.